Renewable element yarn guide construction



.Apnl 23, 1940. g, GASTRICH 2,198,081

RENEWABLE ELEMENT mm GUIDE cons'mucmou Filed April 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fla-EL- I? /////////Z@7//////// M 0 FLEnE',

INVENTOR.

ATTORNE April 23; 1940.

s GASTRICH RENEWABLE ELEMENT YARN GUIDE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 29 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figs-Er. Fl :a-E- Fisk-ii.

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INVENTORI q zzsialvqaszi'idl BY I QWTTORN F LE-.11- Ell-ii Fitz-.15

Patented Apr. 23, 1940 uu reo. stares CONSTRUCTION Gustav Gastrich, Wyo 1 q.

, Pa, or to Textile Machine Works, z lug, a corporation oi Pennsylvania Application April 29, less, set-in No. when 16 Claims.

for yarn manipulating machines, and to the method of forming and assembling the elements, and particularly to such method and means as g concerns the guiding and feeding of yarn in knitting machines.

It is well known in the arts having to do with the feeding and guiding of yarns, especially as to silk yarns, that, although these yarns seem to delicate and soft to the touch, they operate, under long sustained action, to abrade certain elements of harder and apparently more durable character, such as tubes or eyelets of steel or porcelain, through which the yarns pass.

In knitting machines, as of the straight or socalled full fashioned variety, the above mentioned abrasion, by the delicate yarn on the harder elements, is so pronounced, at the tubular tips of certain yarn guide fingers for laying the yarns to the needle banks, that these tips must be renewed frequently.

By reason of space limitations, these fingers and tubes are very small, and crowded closely together, rendering difficult the problem of renewfi ing the finger tips. It has involved relatively great expense, not only as to the materials of the tips, but as to the work of renewing them. It has reduced the quantity of production in a given time, and has had adverse efiects on the product, as are caused by broken yarns and press oifs. It has been usual to solder the tubular tips to the fingers, whereby in renewing the tips, the old solder must be fused and new solder placed in position, thus involving considerable expense andgg loss of time. When heat is applied during the soldering of a new tip into position, unless great care is taken, the heat will soften the hardened tip. In soldering tips in position, or removing them, it is also necessary to remove the guide fin- 4 gers from the machine, which requires accurate resetting, and entails loss of production incident to shut down for this purpose. Suggestions have heretofore beenmade for detachably mounting the tubes or tips on thefin- 4g gers, but these suggestions are usually subject to one objection or. another, such as intricacy of form, high cost, dimculty of manufacture and assembly, excess number of parts and other factors. It is an object of this invention to' provide a so yarn guide, embodying a finger and a tubular finger tip, in which the tip isrenewable, and, in which both the finger and the tube are reduced to substantially the utmost in simplicity of manufacture, form, manipulation and other features 55- for a device of this kind.

. (Ci. 66-426) A This invention relates to yarn guide elements '-set forth.

Another object of the invention is to avoid the disadvantages incident to the use of heat in assemhling yarn guideparts, as above set forth.

Another object is to provide a renewable-tip yarn guide device of minimum number of parts. 5 Another object of the invention is to operatively assemble telescopically related yarn guide finger and finger-tip elements under the new principle in this field, of bowing or equivalently distorting or constructing the tubular tip element whereby,

when the tube is telescopically thrust or inserted into a straight bore in the finger, the elements are laterally bound to each other by the fiexure of the bow against the finger or bysimilar action.

Another object is to provide novel means for determining the position of a tubular finger tip relative to a finger having a bore, particularly in combination with such finger and tip having thelaterally bound holding relation to each other, above Another object is to provide a renewable yarn guide finger tip that may be easily renewed without removing the finger from the machine.

Another object is to provide novel finger tip construction whereby a tubular element that is. normally relatively hard and brittle may be effectively bent and rendered more flexible.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character that is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and efiective in its operation.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown inthe accompanying drawings, my invention resides in the novel elements, features-of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

I ,In the drawings: 4

Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a needle bar and yarn carrier guide assembly, as employed in a multi-section full fashioned knitting machine, showing yarn guide devices of the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of a portion of any one of several yarn guide devices of Fig. l, as viewed in the direction of arrows Fig. i is a sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, drawn to substantially the same scale as Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a view, in section, similar to Fig. 4, taken along the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, a finger-tip tube, shown in Fig. 5, being removed;

Fig. '7 is a view, in side elevation on a greatly enlarged scale, of a yarn guide finger-tip tube element constituting a modified form of the invention, similar to the tube element of Fig. 3, but having a bow or bend of opposite direction toa bend in the tube of Fig. 3.distorting the tube for spring action tending to bend it out of straight tubular form, when it is thrust longitudinally into position in a straight bore of a guide er, as will hereinafter more fully appear;

Fig. 8, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, are views, similar to Fig. 7, of other modified forms of the invention, respectively;

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the tube of Fig. 12 is a view, in transverse section, of the tube of Fig. 8, taken along the line I2-l2;

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view of thetube of Fig. 9, taken along the line l3-l3; and

Fig. 14 is a top plan view of the tube of Fig. 10.

In the drawings and description, only those parts necewiry to a complete understanding of the invention have been set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of the other fingers in the group lI-lt, the

grooves! starts with 'a narrow topend substantially flush with the front surface of the thin sheet or strap-like steel finger, and diverges gradually downwardly tothe upper end of the tip tube J0, thus providing bottom and side surfaces of the channel for leading the yarn gradually and certainly into the tube to facilitate threading. A straight bore I2 of the finger into which the tube 10 is longitudinally andslidably "fitted from the top, is cut through the front surface of the finger to provide a front slot 13 (Fig. 6), and Opposite edge portions 84 of the slot overhanging or embracing the tube peripherally thereof.

The tube 19, which may be of high grade hardened steel, or other material, and highly resistant to abrasion by the yarn, and also comparatively non-flexible and highly resistant to bending in its tubular form, has an arcuate side recess ll (Figs. 3 and 5), formed, as by a rotary cutter, or in other manner. This recess is of selected depth, depending upon the gauge and material of the tube, or other. factors whereby to provide a reduced section of metal at which a permanent bend may be effected more readily than at any other part of the tube. After the-recess has been formed, a permanent bend is provided, in this inof other elements not herein specifically pointed stance, by flexing the tube in a manner decreasout, but which are usual and well known, being ing the average radius of the recess arc relative to the initial radius thereof, which is at leastavailable in the pamphlet entitled Full Fashioned Knitting Machines, copyright 1920, and partially restored by reverse flexure when the in the Reading full fashioned knitting machine catalogues, copyright 1929 and 1935, published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania, and in a pamphlet entitled "Knitting Machine Lectures, published in 1935 by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing,

Pennsylvania Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the device therein shown comprises yarn carrier rods i-8, inclusive, on which are mounted yarn guide fingers l l-It, respectively, for cooperation with a needle bar assembly N, as viewed from the front of a full fashioned knitting machine.

The assembly N comprises a needle bar 22 carrying a slotted bed 23, in the slots of which needles 29 are held by clamp means 2! held to the bar 22 by screws 29.

A sinker head assembly S, mounted on a center bed 32 which constitutes a part of the stationary frame of the machine, comprises a base or bracket 33, a top or cover plate 34, sinkers 31, dividers 38, and a verge plate 39.

The yarn carrier rods l-S, are longitudinally slidabiy journaled in slotted portions 42 of bracket arms 43 secured to the center bed 32 by screws 44, and are held in place at the top edges by members 41.

Each yarn guide finger ll-IO comprises a top portion 48 secured to its cooperating yarn carrier rod l- 8 by screws 49, and a lower portion 52 secured at its upper end to portion 48, as by screws 58 extending through slots 54 in the upper portion.

Yarn 51 is threaded through eyes BI, 62 and 83 in the top portion 48 of each of the fingers lI-IB, and extends along a tapered front groove 81 into a tubular finger-tip element Ill which constitutes the major feature of the invention, both by itself and in combination with the other elements.

In the structure of the invention in one form, as better understood from Figs. 3, 5 and 6, in which the finger I! is taken as exemplary of each tube is thrust into position bore 12.

By the above construction, the surfaces or edges defining the recess II are in the form of a gradual arch from end to end whereby there are no sharp corners, or other formations, at which fracture from bending may be started more readily than at any other point along the arch, as there might be, for instance, if the recess were rectangular or of other polygonal contour.

The recess is therefore in the form of a gradual or easy bow, as is also the tube as a whole, after the permanent bend has been formed, whereby to more gradually and widely distribute the zone of bending and flexing forces along thetube.

The top edge of the tube I0 is peened outwardly into the straight to provide an outwardly projecting transverse shoulder or annular flange 18 for engagement with a shoulder 19 on the finger I8. This feature is to limit the inward frictional thrust of the tube, in the bore, to a position at which an inner end 80 of the tip is in proper position for cooperation with the sinkers 31 and the dividers 38.

'As indicated in Fig. 2, although the upper parts of fingers ll-l8 extend at different angles to the yarn carrier rods l-8 from these rods to positions closely adjacent to the cover plate 34 of the sinker head assembly S,- they extend, from the latter positions, substantially parallel to 'each other, to the lower ends thereof, so that any tube 19 will fit any finger I I-lll, in proper position.

Initially, each tube 10 is cut off at right angles to its length, at each end, and subsequently formed to have its lower end in parallel horizontal relation to the tops of the sinkers anddividers, as shown in Fig. 3.

When thrust into the bore 12, the bowed tube 10, by reason of the bow, offers higher resistance areaoei In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 11, the construction of a finger tip tube 'lta may be substantially the same as the construction of the tube it, above set forth, with the exception that it is bent in direction oppo fsite to the bend in the tube 19.

Also, as shown in Fig. 11, the tube lea may be slightly flattened to be of substantially oval section, either throughout its length, or only for a distance at its lower end, having the minor axis of the oval parallel to the bank of needles 26 or along the path of travel of the er.

Figs. 8 and 12 show another modified form of the invention in which a tube 1%, similar to the tubes 10 and 1811, has a longer recess 11b de-' fined, in side contour, by arcs l and I6 joined by a straight line 82 tangent thereto. This tube has its permanent bend formed by flexing it, as in the case of the tube 10, in a direction reducing the average arc radius originally formed in the straight tube.

Figs. 9 and 13 show another modified form of the invention in which a tube 100, similar to the above-described tubes, instead of having an arouate or arched side recess, has one or more longitudinal side slots 83 and portions 84 of the metal along the slots bowed or bent outwardly, as by compressing the tube longitudinally.

Figs. and 14 show a further modified form of the invention in which a tube 10d, instead of beingv distorted intermediate its ends and normal at each end, is distorted for a distance along its length, including its top end, by providing longitudinal slots 81, and bending strip-like portions 88, between the slots, to have themdiverge or flare, as seen at the top of Fig. 10.

The various forms of the invention have individual advantages, in that the forms of Figs. 3,

'7 and 9 are particularly designed for strength,

the form of Fig. 8 has greater lateral resilience than the forms of Figs. 3 and 7, the forms of Figs. 9 and 10 exert more symmetrical lateral or radial spring pressure, and each or the forms has manuiacturing and other advantages relain disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The methodv of forming and assembling yarn guide elements for yarn manipulating machines, which comprises forming a finger element having a bore and a tubular finger-tip element, bowing said finger-tip element and telescoping the same into the bore whereby the elements are laterally bound relative to each other under,

flexing action of the finger-tip element against the finger element caused by the bow.

2. The method of forg and assembling yarn guide elements for yarn manipulating machines, which comprises distorting a finger=tip tube to provide said tube with lateral fiexure,

forming a finger with a straight bore for telescopically slide fittingly receiving the tube, and telescoping the tubeinto the or to hold the tube in position under lateral binding action between the iinger and the tube caused by the 'distortion of the tum. 1

3. The method of forming and assembling yarn guide elements for yarn manipulating machines, which comprises forming an arcuate side recess near the top end of a finger-tip tube to provide the mm with lateral fiexura'forming a bend in the tube changing the arc of the recess, forming a finger with a straight bore for telescopically slide fittlngly receiving the tube, and telescoping the tube into. the finger to hold the tube in position under lateral binding action between the finger and the tube caused by the bend in the tube.

4. Themethod of forming and detachably assembling to each other yarn guide finger and finger-tip elements for knitting machines, which comprises taking a metal tube finger-tip element having a high degree of hardness and yarnwearing resistance and therefore a corresponding degree of brittleness and resistance to bending, cutting away a portion of the side of the tube to provide a bending section whereby to provide said portion with greater lateral bending flexure than the remaining tubular portions of' the tube, bending a portion of the tube at said section to form a spring, providing the tube with a laterally extending shoulder, forminga metal' finger with a straight bore for slide fittingly receiving the tube, and pressing the tube into the bore to position with said spring flexed and said shoulder against the finger and the elements detachably bound together under the flexing action of the spring.

5-. A yarn carrier guide for a yarn manipulating machine, comprising a finger element having a bore, and a tubular finger-tip element of bowed contour whereby, when the elements are placed together in telescopic relation, they are laterally bound to each other under flexing action of the tubular element caused by the bow.

6. A yarn carrier guide for a yarn manipulating machine, comprising a finger element having a bore, a tubular finger-tip element having spring action whereby, when the tubular element is thrust into the bore, the elements are bound relative to each other under said spring action, and means for stopping said relative thrust movement when the elements attain a predetermined position relative to each other.

7. A yarn carrier guide for a yarn manipulatwhen the finger-tip element is thrust telescopically into the bore to a position determined byengagement of said shoulder with the finger, the elements are bound relative to each other under flexing action of the spring.

8. A'yarn carrier guide for a yarn manipulating machine, comprising a finger having a straight bore, and a finger-tip tube having an arcuate side recess near the top end of the tube, thetube having a bend changing the arc .of the recess whereby, when the tube is thrust telescopically into thebore of the finger, the finger and tube are bound laterally relative to each other under the flexing action of the bent tube.

9. A yarn carrier guide for a knitting machine, comprising a metal tube finger-tip element having a high degree of hardness and yarn-wearing resistance and therefore a corresponding degree of brittleness and resistance to bending, the tube also including a side spring portion formed by cutting the tube, a portion of the tube forming a lateral shoulder, and a metal finger having a straight bore for slide fittingly receiving theltube whereby, when the tube is thrust telescopically into the bore to a position determined by engagement of said shoulder with the finger, the tube is held to the finger bylateral binding action caused by the spring. I I

10. The method of forming a tubular tip element of' a yarn guide finger element having a straight bore, which comprises bowing the tubular element whereby, when it is thrust longitudinally into the bore in telescopic relation to the finger element, the tubular element flexes laterally by reason of the bow to hold the elements together by lateral binding force therebetween.

11. The method of forming, and rendering more flexible, a hard brittle metal tubular finger-tip element for detachable cooperation with a yarn guide finger element having a straight bore, which comprises cutting a portion out o! the side of the tubular element and forming a bend in the tubular element byflexing it laterally at the cut out whereby, when the tubular element is thrust longitudinally into the bore in telescopic relation to the finger element, the tubular element flexes laterally by reason of the cut out and the bend to hold the elements together by lateral binding action therebetween. I

12. The method of forming a tubular fingertip element for detachable mounting on a finger element of a yarn guide, which comprises forming the tubular element to have a side aperture and flexing laterally outwardly from the tubular element contour a portion thereof permitted of such flexure by the aperture whereby, when the tubular element is thrust longitudinally into the bore in telescopic relation to the finger, the finger and the tubular element will be detachably laterally bound together by spring action caused by said distortion. a

13. A finger-tip tube element for detachable 6 mounting on a yarn guide finger element havin a straight bore, comprising means operating substantially as laterally projecting yieldable means on the tube whereby, when the tube is thrust longitudinally into the bore in telescopic relation to the finger,- the finger and the tube will be detachably laterally bound together.

14. A tubular finger-tip element for detachable mounting on a finger element of a yarn guide device, comprising a substantially arch-like side cut-out and bent at the arch in a plane oi! the arch contour whereby, when the tubular element is thrust longitudinally into a straight bore of the finger element. the elements are laterally bound together by fiexure of the tubular element 20 caused by the bend therein.

15. v A tubular finger-tip element'for detachable mounting on a finger element of a yarn guide device, comprising a longitudinally slotted section of the tubular element intermediate its ends having one or more portions of said section bent outwardly from the tubular element contour whereby, when the tubular element is thrust longitudinally into a straight bore of the finger element, the elements are laterally bound together by fiexure of said bent portion or portions.

16. A tubular finger-tip element of hard brittle metal for detachable mounting in a straight bore of a finger element of a yarn guide device, comprising a substantially arch-like side cut-out and bent at the arch in a plane of the arch contour whereby, when the tubular element is thrust longitudinally into said bore for a predetermined distance, the elements are laterally bound together by fiex'ure of the tubular element caused by the bend therein, the tubular element also having a portion for engagement with a portion of the finger for determining said distance.

aus'rav ass'mrcn. v 45 

